Conveying systems are often used to transport articles from one location to another, for example, in a large warehouse, distribution center, or storage area. Articles may include, for example, packages, boxes, mail items, luggage items, loaded pallets, etc. A conveying system may be used to transport one or more articles from a storage location in a warehouse to a container (such as a shipping container) or a vehicle (such as a car, truck, train, or plane), which may subsequently be used to deliver the articles to a remote location from the warehouse, for example, to a recipient's address or some intermediate point in a distribution chain. Such a conveying system often includes separate conveying mechanisms for articles of different shapes and sizes. For example, smaller articles or articles that may be light may be transported using one conveying apparatus. On the other hand, larger packages that may be heavy may be transported using a separate conveying apparatus designed to convey the larger packages to the container or vehicle.
Ultimately, the articles conveyed from a remote position in the warehouse or distribution center must be loaded and appropriately packed into the container or vehicle, for transportation to or toward the desired final recipient. One or more loading personnel usually participate in this transportation and loading process. When such personnel have to pick up the articles, particularly the larger and heavier or at least bulkier articles, the efficiency of the operation is reduced. Moreover, the personnel may become injured or disabled during the process, decreasing efficiency and morale, and increasing costs in the form of medical bills, lost productivity, and workmen's compensation.
By means of example, in conventional systems, the conveying mechanisms for the smaller and larger articles may be independent systems, positioned adjacent each other or separated from each other. Typically it is possible to position only one conveying mechanism with its discharge end near the container or vehicle. Thus, only the articles conveyed by that conveying mechanism can be delivered directly into the container or vehicle. Articles from other adjacently positioned conveying mechanisms often must be picked up by one or more persons and carried to the container or vehicle. Further, because one conveying mechanism is typically positioned at the entrance of the container or vehicle, the one or more persons must maneuver around the conveying mechanism and the edges of the container or vehicle entrance while carrying the one or more articles from the adjacent conveying mechanisms into the container or vehicle. This takes time, and increases the potential for injury, as well as damage of the articles, due to dropping.
One person may be able to pick up smaller articles from a conveying mechanism relatively easily and manually transfer and load the articles. Even then, such a process is not particularly efficient. On the other hand, one or more persons may be required to pick up the larger articles and manually carry the larger articles into the container or the vehicle and then load them into position. Improper lifting of the larger articles can often cause injury to the person or persons lifting the larger articles. The large size of the articles may also make it difficult for a person or persons to lift the articles from the conveying apparatus and to hold on to the articles as they are being carried into the container or vehicle. In some instances, this may result in the articles being dropped by the person or persons carrying the articles, which in turn may result in damage to the articles. Additionally, the need to manually lift up the larger articles and transfer them from an adjacent conveying mechanism to the enclosure or vehicle may increase a time required to complete loading of the enclosure or vehicle, delaying subsequent delivery of the articles.
The conveying system of the present disclosure presents an improvement over the prior art and solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.